The Benefits of Fat Grafting in Oklahoma

The Benefits Of Fat GraftingAnu BajajOklahoma City, OKJan 21, 2014The Benefits of Fat Grafting

A few months ago, I attended the annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. These meetings provide an opportunity for learning about the latest in plastic surgery as well as catching up with colleagues. As can be expected, there were many new “hot topics” at the meeting. But by far, the most common “hot topic” on the forefront of plastic surgery is fat grafting.

Many of you may have thought or wanted to ask your board-certified plastic surgeon, “Why can’t you just suck out the fat in my thighs and put it into my breasts?” The answer to this question may one day be a resounding “yes.” Unfortunately, today, we aren’t quite there.

The History

As a technique, fat grafting has been around for years. I remember hearing about it during my residency when Sidney Coleman, M.D. from New York, considered by many to be the leader in fat grafting, spoke extensively regarding his techniques for fat grafting the face to eliminate wrinkles. At the time, he was primarily using fat grafting for facial rejuvenation – in other words, instead of having a facelift, he would inject your own fat into your face to create a newer and better you.

What is a graft?

Since many of my patients are interested in fat grafting in Oklahoma, I wanted to shed some light on this upcoming technology of fat grafting. We do know that under the right circumstances, anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of fat that is injected can take as a permanent graft. One thing that I should explain is: What is a graft? A graft has no blood supply of its own. It must develop a blood supply from the surrounding tissues. This is in contrast to a flap, which has its own blood supply and does not depend on the surrounding tissues for its blood supply.

This means that when fat is injected into the face to correct your nasolabial folds, we inject small amounts in thin layers to allow for the maximum effect in obtaining a blood supply from surrounding tissues. The main advantage of using your own fat for this purpose, over another filler like Juvederm, is that it is your own tissue and has the potential for being permanent, making it a good choice for plumping lips and restoring fullness to your cheeks.

Many of us have also started to use fat grafting in Oklahoma to correct contour irregularities in women undergoing breast reconstruction after cancer.

Do Your Homework

I also encourage all patients to do their homework before considering any type of surgery. This means making sure that your surgeon is qualified to perform the procedure you want, performs the procedure in an accredited facility, and has privileges in a hospital to perform that procedure.

Contact Us

For more information regarding fat grafting, please contact us, or call my office at (405) 381-8091.